Prior to his election to the House, Lynch worked as a labor and employment attorney, was a member of the Massachusetts House of Represenatives and a member of the Massachusetts State Senate. He was also a co-founder of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus.

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Lynch is an average Democratic member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Democratic Party on the majority of bills.

Biography

Lynch was born and raised in South Boston. A graduate of South Boston High School, he began his professional career as an ironworker. He became the union's youngest president when he assumed the position at age 30.

Lynch received additional education after initially joining the workforce. He earned a B.A. From the Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1988. Lynch received a J.D. from Boston College in 1991 and later attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government where he achieved a Masters Degree in Public Administration in 1999.[2]

Issues

Legislative actions

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[5] For more information pertaining to Lynch's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[6]

National security

American response in Syria

On August 29, 2013, more than 50 HouseDemocrats signed a letter written by CaliforniaRep.Barbara Lee that called for a congressional resolution on strikes, and cautioned that the dire situation in Syria "should not draw us into an unwise war—especially without adhering to our constitutional requirements."[7][8] The letter also called on the Obama administration to work with the U.N. Security Council “to build international consensus” condemning the alleged use of chemical weapons. Lynch was one of the 50 Democrats in the House to sign the letter.[7][8]

National Defense Authorization Act

Lynch voted in opposition of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.[9]

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations

Lynch voted in opposition of HR 2217 - the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.[9]

Keystone Pipeline Amendment

Lynch voted in favor of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.[9]

Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act

Lynch did not vote on HR 624 - the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill would allow federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities.[10] The bill was largely supported by Republicans but divided the Democratic Party.[9]

Economy

Farm Bill

Lynch voted against the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote.[11] The bill passed included farm policy, but did not include food stamps.[12]

King Amendment

Lynch signed a letter sent to Collin Peterson in August 2013, asking him to keep Steve King's amendment out of the final Farm Bill.[13] The "Protect Interstate Commerce Act" amendment prevents states from applying their own laws on agricultural products to agricultural products from another state.[14]. King introduced the amendment in response to a law in California, requiring a larger size cage for egg-producing chickens. King represents Iowa, which is a large egg producer.

Immigration

Morton Memos Enforcement Prohibition

Lynch voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain illegal aliens residing in the United States.[15] The vote largely followed party lines.[16]

Healthcare

Repealing Obamacare

Lynch has voted against all attempts to repeal or delay the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[17]

Social issues

Abortion

Lynch voted against HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196. The purpose of the bill is to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.[18]

Previous congressional sessions

Iraq

According to Lynch's official House website, he desired to remove most of the troops from Iraq by 2011.[19]

Fiscal Cliff

Lynch voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257-167 vote on January 1, 2013.[20]

Campaign themes

2012

Excerpt: "Lynch believes the Federal government needs to create conditions that will induce the private sector to begin lending to creditworthy developers, businesses, and consumers. "

Wall Street

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch opposed the Wall Street bailout, which rewarded bankers and executives for risky behavior that drove our nation into recession. He believes we must hold Wall Street executives accountable for their actions, and he’s fighting for hard reforms to the banking system to ensure that we don’t pay for their mistakes again."

Education

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch believes that education is the foundation of opportunity in the United States. He supported the renewal of Head Start, the premiere early education program in the United States for more than 40 years."

College Affordability

Excerpt: "The rising cost of attending U.S. colleges and universities is a growing concern as many students are finding that their dream of attending an institution of higher education is out of financial reach. Stephen Lynch is committed to ensuring that all qualified students are given the opportunity to achieve their dream by making college more affordable and more accessible for America’s hard-working families and students."

Working families

Excerpt: "After working 18 years as an ironworker, Stephen Lynch knows you can’t live the American dream without a decent job. He fought for the first minimum wage increase in a decade – to ensure that the minimum wage can be a living wage."

America's future

Excerpt: "Too many families today are worried about the burden we are putting on future generations. In order for our children to have the promise of America, we have to get our federal spending under
control. Stephen Lynch has fought to end corporate bailouts and misplaced spending. And he supports “pay as you go” legislation that forces Congress to keep its book balanced, just like the rest of us."

Afghanistan

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch supports President Obama’s transition plan in Afghanistan, maintaining peace, and bringing our troops home as soon as possible. Having been to Afghanistan eight times, where he has met with Afghan political leaders and U.S. military leaders and soldiers, he has a keen understanding of the conditions on the ground."

Renewable Energy

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch believes that the federal government must take an active role in reducing our energy consumption and dependence on foreign oil, and create a secure and sustainable energy future. He supports the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which moves us toward these goals by promoting renewable, clean energy resources, energy efficiency, reducing global warming pollution, and transitioning to a clean energy economy."

Health Care

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch believes that every American should have access to quality healthcare, regardless of their employment status or income level."

Iraq

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch supported the Obama Administration’s removal of U.S. military forces in Iraq. Lynch believes that there is still a role for the U.S. to play as a partner in assisting with Iraq’s continued development."

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch believes that it is vital to preserve Social Security for today's retirees and to strengthen it for the future as a cornerstone of the retirement plan for Americans. Social Security is a reflection of the best ideals of our nation. Based on the noble and principled notion of shared sacrifice, it is a program that has provided financial independence for generations of Americans."

Veterans

Excerpt: "Stephen Lynch believes that one of the most important ways America can show its gratitude to its veterans for their heroic and dedicated service to our nation is by providing them with the finest medical care possible. When the Bush White House tried to close four VA hospitals in the 9th/new 8th District, Lynch successfully led the effort to keep them open. He has been a champion of health care for veterans, and was a strong supporter of the New GI bill." [21]

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

The OnMessage poll from May 5-7, 2013 was commissioned jointly by the Gomez campaign and National Republican Senatorial Committee.[22]

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

MassINC Polling Group Poll

With respect to the demographics of the MassINC poll, questions regarding the Democratic primary were only asked to respondents who classified themselves as Democrat or Independent/Unenrolled. Based on the information provided in the poll, 36% of the respondents were Democrat and 53% were Independent/Unenrolled.[24]

Lynch and Ed Markey participated in six debates. Three were focused on general issues and the each of the remaining three focused on a different topic. One centered on jobs, another on domestic issues and the final one centered on foreign affairs. The debates were held throughout the state with confirmed locations in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and New Bedford.[26]

The day before the DemocraticU.S. Senate primary, Lynch was sidelined by illness and unable to attend most of his scheduled public events.[27]

Lynch was defeated by challenger Ed Markey in the Democratic primary on April 30, 2013.[28]

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Stephen Lynch, click [show] to expand the section.

2010

On November 2, 2010, Stephen Lynch won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Philip Dunkelbarger (R) and Vernon Harrison (I) in the general election.[31]

U.S. House, Massachusetts District 9 General Election, 2010

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Stephen Lynchincumbent

68.3%

157,071

Republican

Vernon Harrison

26.1%

59,965

Independent

Philip Dunkelbarger

5.5%

12,572

None

Other

0.2%

356

Total Votes

229,964

2008

On November 4, 2008, Stephen Lynch won re-election to the United States House. He ran unopposed in the general election.[32]

U.S. House, Massachusetts District 9 General Election, 2008

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Stephen Lynchincumbent

76.3%

242,166

None

Other

1%

3,128

None

Blank/Scattering

22.7%

72,126

Total Votes

317,420

2006

On November 7, 2006, Stephen Lynch won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jack Robinson (R) in the general election.[33]

U.S. House, Massachusetts District 9 General Election, 2006

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Stephen Lynchincumbent

72.2%

169,420

Republican

Jack Robinson

20.1%

47,114

N/A

Other

0.2%

502

N/A

Blank/Scattering

7.4%

17,469

Total Votes

234,505

2004

On November 2, 2004, Stephen Lynch won re-election to the United States House. He ran unopposed in the general election.[34]

U.S. House, Massachusetts District 9 General Election, 2004

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Stephen Lynchincumbent

73.3%

218,167

N/A

All Others

0.7%

2,145

N/A

Blank/Scattering

26%

77,514

Total Votes

297,826

2002

On November 5, 2002, Stephen Lynch won re-election to the United States House. He ran unopposed in the general election.[35]

U.S. House, Massachusetts District 9 General Election, 2002

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Stephen Lynchincumbent

71.3%

168,055

N/A

Other

0.4%

921

N/A

Blank/Scattering

28.4%

66,890

Total Votes

235,866

2001

On October 10, 2001, Stephen Lynch won election to the United States House. He defeated Jo Ann Sprague (R), Susan C. Gallagher-Long (Conservative) and Brock Satter (Socialist Workers) in the special election.[36]

U.S. House, Massachusetts District 9 General Election, 2001

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Stephen Lynch

65%

44,943

Republican

Jo Ann Sprague

32.7%

22,645

Conservative

Susan C. Gallagher-Long

1.2%

827

Socialist Workers

Brock Satter

0.7%

510

N/A

Other

0.4%

253

Total Votes

69,178

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Lynch is available dating back to 2002. Based on available campaign finance records, Lynch raised a total of $7,534,709 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 16, 2013.[37]

2013

U.S. Senate Special Election

U.S. Rep.Edward Markey has raised about $4.8 million since jumping into the special election race.[42] Markey's Democratic rival, fellow U.S. Rep. Lynch reported raising approximately $1.5 million since entering the race in late January, adding to the $745,000 left over from his last House race.[42]

After beginning with more than $3 million in his congressional campaign account at the start of the campaign, Markey had a total of $7.8 million on hand in early April. After spending about $3.2 million, his account was left with about $4.6 million as of April 10, 2013.[42] According to reports, more than 53 percent of the money raised by Markey came from outside of the state, with only approximately 47 percent coming from Massachusetts donors. According to Markey's campaign, approximately 83 percent of the more than 18,000 individuals who contributed to his campaign gave $100 or less.[42]

Lynch reported spending more than $1.7 million through April 10 and had more than $514,000 left in his account for the final stretch.[42] According to his campaign, about 93 percent of the approximately 3,300 individual donors live in Massachusetts and approximately 45 percent of those who donated to his campaign gave $100 or less.[42]

2012

Breakdown of the source of Lynch's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Lynch won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. During that election cycle, Lynch's campaign committee raised a total of $729,836 and spent $642,217.[43]

Lifetime voting record

According to the website GovTrack, Lynch missed 313 of 8,262 roll call votes from Oct 2001 to Mar 2013, which is 3.8% of votes during that period. This is worse than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving.[46]

Congressional staff salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Lynch paid his congressional staff a total of $1,053,822 in 2011. He ranked 87th on the list of the highest paid Democratic representative staff salaries and ranked 112th overall of the highest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Massachusetts ranked 2nd in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[47]

Net worth

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Lynch's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $12,018 and $1,333,998. This averages to $673,008, which is a 7.94% increase since 2010. This is lower than the $5,107,874 average net worth for Democratic representatives in 2011.[48]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Lynch's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $6,009 and $1,240,998. That averages to $623,503.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2010 of $4,465,875.[49]

National Journal vote ratings

Each year, National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted, as compared to other members, in the previous year. More information about the analysis process can be found on the vote ratings page.

2012

According to the data released in 2013, Lynch was ranked the 129th most liberal representative during 2012. This was the most conservative ranking held by a representative of Massachusetts in 2012.[50]

2011

According to the data released in 2012, Stephen Lynch was ranked the 123rd most liberal representative during 2011.[51]

Voting with party

June 2013

Stephen Lynch voted with the Democratic Party 91.7% of the time, which ranked 138th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.[52]

Personal

Lynch is married to Margaret Shaughnessy. They have one daughter.

Recent news

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